One or two recipes from every cookbook on my shelf. All 82 of them. November 2026 through October 2027.

I tried something like this once before. In 2021 I decided to cook from one cookbook a month, and I made it to February. This time there’s a plan built around how I actually cook: the seasons, the chest freezer, weeknights that need to be quick, and plenty of nights off.

The rules

• About one and a half cookbook recipes a week, never more than two.
• Every book gets one recipe. The good ones earn a second.
• Proteins come out of my chest freezer oldest first.
• Date nights and takeout nights stay
• Every book gets a verdict: does it stay on the shelf?

The year, by season

Foundations (November–December). Braises, roasts and holiday cooking from the teachers: Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Samin Nosrat, Simon Hopkinson, Thomas Keller.

Citrus & Spice (January–March). Peak citrus season and the pantry: Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Mexican cooking, plus preserved lemons in everything.

Spring Green (April–June). Asparagus, peas, rhubarb and garden greens, with the vegetable-forward books: Ottolenghi, Moosewood, Six Seasons.

Summer Table (July–August). Tomatoes, grilling, dips and eating outside. The lightest stretch of the year.

Harvest & Hand (September–October). Slower projects, handmade pasta, and a final dinner built from the books that earned a second visit.

Follow along

Every post in the series lives in the Cookbook Year category. I won’t be reprinting the books’ recipes; buy the books, borrow them from the library, or find the many that are published online. What you’ll get here is what worked, what I changed, and whether each book is worth your shelf space.